Full social inclusion is the next phase of our economic development, the President, Mrs McAleese, said yesterday. Speaking at the annual lunch of the Small Firms' Association, Mrs McAleese also warned that sustaining partnership was the only way to safeguard economic growth while enabling all sections of society to benefit from prosperity.

She said the priority now was to promote a greater inclusiveness in Irish society.

"There should be no more people at the margin; rather everyone should be in the centre," she said.

She added that much also remained to be done to ensure full employment for the workforce.

Mrs McAleese said the current favourable market conditions presented both the resources and an unprecedented opportunity to successfully tackle these issues.

On partnership, she contended that wage moderation had sustained competitiveness and growth, leading to greater employment and increased revenue. She added: "This in turn has funded increased expenditure targeted at the more vulnerable sections of society. It has been a win-win situation and everyone has a stake in seeing that it continues."